2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Home Office Laser Option
Date of Review: Dec 31, 1999
Choosing a printer for a home office environment, where the volumes are higher than normal home use but less than a full office environment is very difficult. I went looking for a printer that would be as stable and sturdy as the IBM (Lexmark) 4029 that served me so loyally for so many years (over 10 years). My other criteria were that it had to feed envelopes independently of letter pages, that it had to have a monthly volume rating of 5,000 or more copies, and have reasonably high quality (600 dpi minimum, 1,200 dpi preferred). Another minor issue, but one I had a hard time resolving in my own mind, was the issue of color. A color laser printer ($2,400) was out of my price range and my need for color was much less than B&W. So what to do?
The choice came down to two HP models. One (model P1100) printed color at 10 PPM at 2400x1200 dpi and B&W at 12 PPM at 600x600 dpi while the other (model 2100) did 10 PPM B&W only at 1200x1200 dpi. Both were supposedly rated at 5,000 copies per month, although the P1100 didn't look nearly as sturdy. However, the P1100 required cartridges at $20 for about each 1,200 copies and the 2100 cartridge would produce about 5,000 copies for a $99 toner cartridge (roughly even).
It was a close call but I went with the 2100 ($699) versus the P1100 (499). I wanted the crisp look of a laser printer versus a dot matrix. The 2100 also can add an additional tray if needed and does feed the envelopes separately.
It installed quickly and hassle free. It was up and running in less than 5 minutes and has worked flawlessly from the git go.
